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Discipline of steel #18

the proper way to squat, get fit by doing what you like, virtuous circles, and simplicity is the way.

Hey Warriors,

I hope you had a great weekend!

I’m going to keep my intro very short this week.

Why?

Because I want you to read that next chapter very slowly and make sure you assimilate those truth bombs about abs.

Thanks to all of you who answered the poll 2 weeks ago, you guys are the reason why I chose to write about this today!

62.5% of you are wrong about abs.

And I’m neither surprised nor disappointed.
In fact, I’m glad 37.5% of you already know no exercise alone can give you abs.

So here’s a refresher:

1. Everybody has a six-pack under a layer of body fat. If you want to see your abs, you need to lose that fat.

2. You can’t target where you lose fat. You have to watch your diet and lose fat overall.
What it means: sit-ups don’t burn more belly fat than other exercises, and any exercise has the potential to burn belly fat.

3. Training your core and doing abs exercises can help you grow the size of your abs and make them slightly more defined, but this would be at the fine tuning stage.

4. Ultimately, keeping a six-pack is a matter of keeping a low body fat percentage, which is not necessarily the right thing to do for everyone.

If you need any help with your training, please let me know by replying to this email and I’ll share my answer with everyone.

Now let’s start! 💪

1. Back to squatting school.

How confident are you about your squat form?

If you answered no or not sure, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

A lot of people, many of whom are already squatting with extra weight, don’t do it with great form.

The 2 main issues we see are:

1. The torso leans too much forward, almost ending up horizontal.

2. The knees move way too much forward and ahead of the toes.

It is vital that you learn to squat with correct form before lifting weights.

The best way I know to do this is to sit down and get up and watch how you naturally tend to move.
Then remove the box or the chair, and as you feel more comfortable with practice, try to go lower and lower.

Click this link for the full YouTube video and instructions.

2. Start where the fun is.

Find out what you prefer to do in the gym and set a goal to it.

Because the easiest way to reach a goal is if you enjoy working for it.

And if the only way for you to get started or to stay consistent is to choose the path of least resistance, then choose that path for now.

It’s ok if you don’t have a complete and well-rounded routine in the beginning.
It’s ok if your nutrition is not 100% perfect.
When you start moving, you already made the biggest step forward.

And it doesn’t have to be in the gym.
Just find whatever form of exercise is fun for you and set a goal. Then set another one.

I know for a fact you’ll have to hit the gym eventually and work out your whole body.
Because you’ll need this to reach your new goals.

When you choose a goal that excites you, you enjoy the work.
And when you enjoy the work, nothing can stop the momentum.

3. Everything works as a spiral, choose yours wisely.

Energy works as a circle, which can be virtuous or vicious depending on how you feed it.

The more we move, the more vitality we have.
The more idle we stay, the more tired we get.

This is why the first step is always:
The most difficult.
The most important.
The most urgent.

Do not wait to feel in better shape to act because it is never going to happen.
You will be in better shape after you pushed yourself to do the first workout or go for the first run.
Remember this is the hardest part, and it will keep getting easier after that.

Once you get started, stay very aware of the danger of slowing down.
Never miss 2 workouts in a row.
Remind yourself it will always be harder to start again later than it is to train today.

Life is movement. We are always at a point where we can choose between 2 directions.
Either we feed the virtuous circle, or we feed the vicious one.
Always choose positive momentum.

4. Simplicity is the way.

How are we supposed to turn our lifestyle around after years of feeding bad habits?

How do we change when we’ve been stuck in the same unhealthy ways for so long they have become what we are?

The answer is by simplifying and practicing.

Don’t try and become a completely different person overnight.
You don’t have to do everything you see on social media.
You don’t need to know about the latest supplements or try and copy the complete (often fake) routine of your favorite fitness influencer.

Just start with a few basics and focus on getting them right.
Cook your own meals, walk more, and lift weights 3 times a week.
It can be as simple as that.

Then practice saying no to what you know is harming you.
Smoking, alcohol, processed foods etc...

Simplify, master one thing at a time, and build up progressively.
This is the process of becoming a healthier person in a nutshell.